Politics and development: government, power & Namibia
Development does not fall from the sky — it is planned, paid for and protected by government. In this lesson we learn the key words of politics (constitution, authority, power, representation, delegation, election and voting), meet the different types of government from shared democracies to one-person dictatorships, compare the economic approaches a state can take (capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, communism and fascism), then look at exactly what Namibia's central government and its regional and local authorities must do to create the conditions for development — including the decentralisation policy across our fourteen regions. We finish with the five factors that block development in an LEDC like Namibia: poor planning, a lack of skilled workers, weak work ethics (corruption and transparency), a lack of finance and a lack of in-service training.
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO Development Studies 8.1):
- Explain the concepts used in politics, state and government: constitution, authority, power, representation, delegation, election and voting
- Discuss different types of government: monarchy, parliamentary democracy, republic, one-party state, dictatorship and totalitarianism, with an example and effect on development
- Explain different approaches to state power: capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, communism and fascism
- Discuss the role of central government and regional/local authorities in Namibia in providing the conditions for development: peace and national security, opportunities (e.g. loans), infrastructure, education and social services, and the decentralisation policy
- Explain the main factors affecting social and economic development in LEDCs such as Namibia: poor planning, lack of a skilled workforce, work ethics (corruption and transparency), lack of finance, and lack of in-service training